Thursday, October 26, 2017

My Ironman is almost here, and I want to share a story about my husband that happened at IM Louisville in 2007.

Ironman Louisville has a perfect spectator viewing point on the bike course at La Grange. There is a highway that spectators can take to get there without having to be on the bike course, and the bike route goes by the town two times, so there are a couple opportunities to see your loved ones.

I searched the crowd both times and was able to spot Bill! We waved, and yelled, he cheered me on! It was such a good feeling to see him during the race!

After I went by for the second time he got back in the car to head back to transition to see me start the run. As I left transition, I was looking and listening for him, but didn’t see him. I figured that I must have just not seen him in the crowd.

On the second loop of the run I found him and ran over to give and get a hug!

At the finish line he was there and we were able to get a picture together, he had brought my recovery drink in a plastic bag filled with ice so it would be cold. I hadn’t asked him to do this, warm is okay, but he knew it would be better cold, so he carried around a leaking bag of ice so it would taste better.

Got changed and we got in the car to head back to the hotel. Not until this point did he mention anything, he said “Notice anything different about the car?” The car we had rented smelled like Spencer’s Gifts, apparently they had sprayed a ton of air freshener in it to mask the smoke smell. The smell was gone. Then I looked around and noticed it was a different car.

After Bill had left La Grange and was driving through a neighborhood a car came across an intersection and hit him. It spun the car around, and Bill hit his head on the driver’s side window. The rental was wrecked bad enough that it could not be driven. The police came, and an ambulance came.

The ambulance driver told him that he needed to go to the hospital because he had a slight concussion. Bill told him “I can’t go to the hospital; I HAVE to get back to transition!!”

He had to call a taxi to take him back to the airport, rent another car, and book it back to the transition area. This is why I didn’t see him after the bike.

He never said a word until I was finished and safe in the car.

He also got my bike, and bags and took them back to the hotel in the time that I was running.With a concussion.

Watching an Ironman is tough, it is super tiring. Your feet and legs hurt from running all over the place to cheer for your athlete. But you feel like you can’t complain because the person you are watching just did an Ironman.

Bill never uttered a peep. He even went back out after we got to the hotel to get me a milkshake and something to eat.

Let’s pray that nothing like this happens at Ironman Florida!

So here is to my super amazing husband, Bill! Thank you for supporting me through this crazy life of triathlon! You are the BEST!

I just bought him a VIP pass for the day... shhh it's a secret surprise!!

p.s. The house we rented for Ironman comes with a golf cart, so getting around should be a lot easier!

In Napa at our nieces wedding!

This picture is appropriate since we are moving to south Louisiana!!
This was the year that the Saints won the Superbowl!

Bill kayaked for me at the 4 mile Take The Lake swim!

Rock n' Roll Half Marathon! With no training Bill ran just over a 2:00 Half!